Realms of Eden: Book 5: Hyak Anali

Sydney ran along the compacted sand of the beach lining Mwarotu Bay, the cloaked Majestic sat at anchor in the deep water to his left. The big muscular man with his dark mane of hair with its errant lock across his forehead shook as he ran. The dark-blue eyes were focussed on the sand in front of his feet barely lit by the pale overhead moon. Sydney's enhanced vision made it easy for him to see in the darkness and his feet found solid ground easily as he loped.

Ian and Thelma had chosen the big bay on the relatively unpopulated west coast of the Solomon Islands to allow their leader time to fully recover from his poisoning before he faced the media and hectic schedule of the upcoming cricket tour. The tranquil waters and warm sunshine had done as much for his recovery as the love and attention he had received in the little sick bay on board the big boat.

Running would help improve his fitness and he knew that he still had a little bit of work to do to convince the doctors on board the boat of his total recovery, particularly because of the bulbs, as Alfred called them, of trapped poison that still remained in his body. Not only that, Esmeralda had disappeared and running took away the worry he was feeling about her absence. The Zygotian had resided comfortably in Keith Richardson's body whilst Sydney was totally incapacitated but had only briefly came to him when he finally was allowed out of his bed.

Recalling the strange encounter with his lifetimes friend and protector he puzzled over the things she had told him. "I have to leave you for a while my lord," she had said softly in his mind. The voice was one of sadness and yet at the same time held an excitement that Sydney could not quite fathom. When he pressed her for more information she had been effusively evasive. Talking about how she had great things to do and see. She spoke as if he would know later but for now she was going to keep him in the dark.

It was not only Esmeralda that left. Marmess and Orial also disappeared with her. The three Zygotians were tearful but also happy at the departure at the same time. Their three earthly hosts were all left confused and, Sydney admitted, a little worried. Marmess stroked her large claw over his chest as he stood with the creatures on the aft deck prior to their departure. "We will be back Enyalius. Go do what must be done. Our short absence will hardly be noticed," she had told him. Sydney worried even more as the huge magenta guardian had never called him Enyalius before.

Still they had not offered anymore. The whole crew had stood and watched the magnificent creatures lift from the deck in their gigantic size, spread their wings and arrow into the dawn sky. Keith Richardson and his men had gasped in awed wonder at the sight. None of them had seen the Zygotians in full form before then. "She loves you madly, Syd," the captain had said to him as they strained to watch the figures high in the sky.

"Yes she does, as I love her too, Keith," he had replied.

"Es knows that too, my friend," the big captain said as he turned away and clasped the hand of Anne-Marie who stood waiting beside him. Sydney had watched them go and could see the shared aura around the pair.

"Es you crafty little bitch!" he had uttered under his breath. The grin on his face was with him for the rest of the day.

Now it was the late night, early morning after their departure and Sydney used the time to escape his ever present protectors to push his physical limits. Lying in his bed and talking to everyone was nice and in some ways comforting. But his mind was never quiet as he roamed the realms and talked with the residents there. His body craved physical action but Xavier, Wendy, Jo and even Lex, forbade him to do much more than walk on the decks. The stairs were even out of bounds, taking the lifts between the decks. In the quiet of the hours after midnight he had snuck over the side of the boat and swam to the shore.

His eyes adjusted to the darkened sky where only a pale moon had appeared and so he saw the figures on the beach ahead well before they knew he was there. He paused and stood listening, casting his mind ahead seeking out the thoughts of the six people that appeared to be in a very tight bunch surrounding something in the centre of them.

Suddenly he began to sprint towards the group as he sensed their intentions towards the drugged girl that they crowded around on the dark sand. As he ran his mind travelled the big boat desperately hoping that someone aboard was awake at 3:00 am. Alfred was the only one that sensed him, the cyber doctor never slept as he continued to arrange and categorise his expanding databases of knowledge.

"What is it Sydney?" came his voice as he noted the man's increased heart rate and the pumping of adrenalin into his charge's body. Alfred saw the figures on the beach and the woman that they were now binding to stakes driven into the sand.

"No Sydney! There are too many of them!" he screamed as the man ploughed into the group knocking several of them down in his initial rush. Suddenly the air was rent with sirens and the beach bathed in bright lights as the Majestic uncloaked in a cacophony of sound and light. The unexpected distraction gave Sydney the opportunity to blast his fists and feet into three of the attackers knocking them out cold. Turning to the remainder he saw them look at the big boat then at him before hightailing it into the surrounding thick bushland.

He watched them run before turning to the woman lying on the ground before him noticing that she was unconscious and tightly bound to the stakes with thin rope around her ankles and wrists. Watching the other men carefully he squatted beside the woman feeling for a pulse at her neck. It beat slowly and softly against his fingertips, her skin appeared slightly bluish in colour to his heighten senses. "Poison," said Alfred in his head then added, "Xavier and Wendy are on their way."

One of the men beside the woman stirred. Sydney glanced quickly at him and suggested that Serenity and Lucy might be needed as well. "Already here Sydney," said Serenity quietly as she let her green machine settle beside him with her gun turrets exposed and trained on the men on the beach.

She passed him a wicked looking knife never taking her eyes off the forms in front of her powerful spotlights. "Don't even twitch bastard!" she said as the first man to awaken looked at them with wide eyes. Sydney finished cutting the last of the bonds from the woman's feet as the Go-go mobile gently slid to a halt beside them with Xavier alighting from the vehicle with her medical bag as Wendy cut the motors.

Quickly Xavier examined the patient then groaned in frustration as the woman died in her arms. "Too late!" she cried rocking the woman in her arms softly weeping as she watched the big man above her hang his head in sorrow.

His body moved fast, picking the now fully conscious man up by his lank, filthy black hair screaming into his face. "Why? Why did you kill her?"

The man gibbered in fright and finally stammered out, "Sacrifice!"

"What!" exclaimed Serenity then grabbed Sydney's arm as he drew it back to slam it into the man's face.

"No Sydney!" she shouted, "We won't get any answers if you kill him!"

Sydney's breathing was harsh, his eyes blazing as Serenity used all of her strength to hold his arm down. In the distraction the other two men had fled and Sydney threw the man back to the ground. He had turned to follow them when Jennifer's voice exploded in his mind. "Get out of there now all of you! I am sorry about the woman but get in the Go-go mobile and move it!"

Sydney instantly obeyed, landing in the passenger area of the medic craft alongside Xavier as Wendy gunned the machine up and into the sky. Raising his head a little he saw Serenity's machine slip past then brake, turning sharply to face back down into the water. Wendy and Lucy copied her movements. Sydney gripped the tie down straps tightly as he beheld a horrific sight on the beach that they had just vacated.

Something black crawled up the beach. No, not crawled, it was like the beach was sucked downwards giving the impression of a beast crawling along it. Suddenly a trench opened, a high pitched scream reached his ears as the man they had left behind was suddenly engulfed by the blackness. A red maw opened impossibly wide then shut taking the man and the dead woman with it. Rumbling noises filled his ears and as he watched the beach rippled then stilled. "What the fuck was that?" breathed Wendy in a horrified whisper.

"Deathworm," sent Jennifer, "And it's not the only one around here. Come back aboard people it is the safest place to be at the moment."

"Fuck me Jennifer how the hell did you know that they were there!" cried Serenity as soon as she had alighted from her craft. She ran to her curly haired sister standing at the side of the landing area on the rear deck.

"Let's wait till we are upstairs so we only have to say this once," suggested Sydney forestalling further discussion. The five of them walked further into the deck to the lifts, making their way to the C deck mess area. By now the whole of the crew aboard was awake and congregating in the room.

Ian, Thelma, Ronnie and Lissa were missing, spending some time in Arohane where they were checking out the accommodations for the rest of the team that was due there in a few weeks.

Greg Collins, Martha Ranatui and, surprisingly Big Suzy, had headed back to Townsville to check out developments in Cellarium. With the older amazon saying that she wanted to see what the fuss was all about.

The rest of the group waited to hear Jennifer's answer to the question that Serenity had screamed and was uppermost in all of their minds.

"I didn't until I saw the blue tinge to the skin of the woman," Jennifer replied to Serenity's earlier question.

Turning to Sydney who stood with Wendy she asked, "Are you ok, warrior?" at his nod she turned to her sister.

Sydney sensed that the medical team that were eyeing him intensely were very angry. He held up his hands in surrender before they could start haranguing him for his escape. Indicating Jennifer he motioned for her to continue.

"Serenity do you remember the desert dwellers of Hyak Anali?"

The petite woman nodded slowly. "They lived in the high cliffs above the desert near what is now called the Black Sea. Why?"

"They lived in the cliffs because the Deathworms controlled the deserts and anyone who was caught out in the open was devoured if they couldn't find water to hide in. They used to perform sacrifices to the worms thinking that they were gods. Young girls were chosen, poisoned and left staked out on the sands, thinking that if they appeased the gods that it would allow them to travel safely on their trade missions."

"Why not cattle or goats?" asked Wendy.

Sydney sighed. "Because cattle and goats were more valuable than an unwanted female that cost money to clothe, feed and eventually provide a dowry for!" he answered.

"What I want to know," said Alfred from the computer monitor hanging on the wall overlooking the tables, "is what the practices of a tribe that has been gone from this planet for over 4,000 years has got to do with what happened tonight?"

Paul Keane shook his head. "I think, Alfred, the question is how the fucking hell did those monsters get from the Black Sea to the Solomon's? Thousands of kilometres apart!"

There appeared to be no immediate answers and the group looked to Jennifer. A male voice whispered in the beautiful woman's mind. "The answers are in the past. Go! Seek them."

The woman's eyes softened as she looked at her worried people. Her mind reaching out to all of them calming their nervousness and assuring them that on board the boat was the safest place they could be. The voice continued, "Take them back to where this started. Someone, or something brought them here. The answers are with the Hyak Anali."

Some of them looked sleepy, others bright eyed and some, like Sydney, were restless. As if they wanted to carry out some sort of activity or planning but didn't know what it was that they should be doing. Gently she prompted them to sit and relax. "That's it," soothed the voice in her mind. "Take them back and make sure that it cannot happen now. It is too dangerous to wait!"

With gentle gestures she let her hands wander in patterns in front of her. Murmurs of surprise, that she gently hushed, came from the people around her as they watched her body glow a soft mauve before it expanded out suddenly engulfing them all in a bright blinding flash. The voice in her mind gave a small sigh before it finished. "Thank you Mollenny," it said and Jennifer puzzled that it seemed to be very relieved that she had carried out his request.

"Where, and more importantly, when, are we Jennifer?" asked Alfred. The man suddenly yipped as he found himself standing, naked, in front of the crew who stared at him in amazement.

"Jennifer please, put me back!" cried the man as he looked at the grinning woman who appraised him from his bare feet to the anguished look on his face. A face that contained soft green eyes of a shade that reflected the green of his cyber image. Alfred stood around 1.8 metres in his bare feet. He was stockily built and his skin was the colour a light tan as he stood under the bright lights of the dining room. Wavy brown hair fell to just over his ears and half way down his neck. His chest and back were free of hair and Serenity eyed the taught muscles in his back and down his tight looking buttocks. She moved closer to the man who continued to plead for Jennifer to return him to his cyber world.

Serenity walked around the new addition to their crew. Letting her fingers reach out to gently touch the body before her, assuring her eyes that it was a solid representation and not a hologram as many suspected. Alfred shivered, an involuntary response, as the warm fingers of the woman sent sensations throughout his nervous system that he had never experienced before in his long years in his solitary, well mostly solitary, cyber world.

Giggling from some of the women in front of him confused him, his expression telling them that he did not see what was so funny until Wendy appeared in front of his face and looked downwards. Following her gaze he was surprised when he saw his erection standing proudly out from his body as his synapses connected the reaction to the tender stroking of Serenity's fingers across his body. "Sorry," he whispered huskily.

Wendy stopped anything further from his mouth with a soft finger. "Nothing at all to be sorry about with that doctor," she said huskily. He heard murmured agreement from Lucy, Penny and Bonnie as they surrounded him closing off his view of the rest of the crew.

"I think I have found my fourth," whispered Bonnie softly. "If you will have me Alfred," she added with a wistful tone.

"Ladies, back away please," said Xavier, "Shoo! Shoo!" Her hands waving them back from the confused and overwhelmed man as he tried to look anywhere but at the beautiful women he knew so intimately but had never had. He found that his body was responding to the implied looks in the women's eyes in a rather lusty and, he noted, wonderfully warm way.

Xavier passed him some shorts and a T-shirt that he quickly donned as she helped. Standing in front of her he lost his heart as the woman's grey eyes gazed into his. Without any further thought he leaned towards her finding her lips with his softly. "I have always wondered what it would be like to kiss someone that you loved," he whispered just as she met his hotly. His hands automatically found themselves around the woman's waist as she pulled him a little closer into her curves, her own arms reaching around his neck as the kiss grew sweeter and longer.

Heat roiled through Alfred's mind, the softness of Xavier's breasts against his chest and the pleasant sensation of his erection against her crotch almost caused him to forget to breathe. "Shall we adjourn to somewhere quieter?" asked Xavier softly in his ear. She totally forgot the people around her watching incredulously as the pair melded so sexily in front of them. The pair vanished.

Jennifer held her hands up for calm, though calm was not exactly how she was feeling at the disappearance of the doctor and the man she had drawn out from his cyber world.

"What the fuck!" cursed Sydney then he began to chuckle. "Ok folks," he said loudly causing all eyes to turn towards him as he continued to grin broadly. "No cause for alarm, though I think Xa and Alfred just gave themselves a bit of a shock. However, they are fine. Please just let them be for a little while."

He turned back to Jennifer saying, "You haven't answered Alfred's question Jennifer. Where are we?"

The curly haired woman was lost. Her initial thoughts a jumble as she had witnessed the scene that played out before her and now her warrior was asking something that she found too hard to understand. The love that hit her so powerfully from the vanished duo was palpable to her senses. Her mind was ablaze as she searched frantically for them until Sydney appeared in her mind saying, "Jennifer, let them be, please!"

Her curls shook as she tried to let it go. Her mind screamed at her in a dark purple haze as she tried so hard to focus on the man in front of her and with a gasp of shock she also disappeared.

Serenity looked at the space where her sister had been. Focussing her eyes to Sydney and Kelsey standing in shocked disbelief, their faces not truly registering the disappearance of the woman who had brought them to a time 5,000 years before theirs.

She gulped and said quietly, "We are in the past. A long way into it. This is the time of the Hyak Anali and the last time I had anything to do with them I was their Goddess!"

Xavier Masterton's body sang. The man holding her so closely was the centre of her world as they spun, twisted and floated in a world of colours and warmth. She had managed to keep a hold of him when she felt her body atomise, exploding in a shower of colour and emotion as he kissed her softly. His tongue dancing across hers as she let the sensations that filled her in every place that he touched her, searing her body as if she was impaled upon hot coals.

Breathing harshly, her nipples so hard as her pussy clamped hard inside as if it was orgasming upon the most wonderful dick she had every felt. Strangely nothing filled her, she felt nothing between her legs, yet her mind registered a hardness inside her that could not quite reconcile with what her body said was happening.

Alfred breathed into her mouth, his warm exhalation giving her much needed oxygen. Sucking greedily at his lips she felt a solidness against her back as they found a surface that her mind craved to focus the thrusting her body was carrying out. Screaming out in ecstatic joy she came, hard! Heart thumping in her chest as slowly she felt the world come back into focus as the man above her stared intently into her eyes told her that he loved her.

Jennifer knelt before the tall bronzed female standing before her. Eyes shining wetly she stared at the flat stomach, firm taut thighs and, lifting her eyes upwards, the heaving breasts of Janine, her lover and best friend.

Sydney's mind was in shock! Jennifer's thoughts came crashing in on him, as through her mind link he saw the beautiful girl that he had saved so long ago reach down for his queen. Softly Janine lifted Jennifer's chin and said, "My love you have come back to me at last!"

Keith Richardson was in a slight panic. Not only did he not believe what his eyes had seen, his lungs told him that the air he was breathing was different to what he had been used to for the past fifty years. He was almost dizzy at the amount of oxygen his lungs inhaled and looking around the group surrounding him he realised that he was not the only one. "People!" he yelled, gasping, "Sit down, take slow breaths!" Following his own advice he sat in the chair nearest him and controlled his beating heart with long slow breaths.